Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "study/educational" projects in Portugal

ATN (Associação Transumância Natureza) is an environmental NGO, created in 2000 at Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo, Guarda district. ATN’s mission is the conservation of the Riba-Côa area natural heritage. To achieve this goal, ATN’s objectives are the study and conservation of flora and fauna of the Rivers Côa, Águeda and Douro watersheds, environmental education, development of sustainable rural development projects, and the recovery and promotion of the cultural and architectural heritage of the region. ATN’s main project, the Faia Brava Reserve, at the Côa Valley SPA, is a 600ha property, bought by the association and managed exclusively for nature and culture heritage conservation. For more info please check - www.ATNatureza.org

The goal of this work camp is to support the conservation of the great cliff-breeder birds, threatened species in the European context, with important breeding populations at the Faia Brava Reserve - Vale do Côa, through practical actions for the conservation of important habitats and prey species populations. The participants will receive theoretical and practical information from specialists on bird ID and conservation methods, and will support ATN by developing practical work on ecological restoration and species monitoring.

Main tasks will be...

1. Vulture feeder observatory construction;
2. Cliff-breeders observatory construction;
3. Construction of network of Red-partridge feeders;
4. Traditional pigeon house recovery;
5. Bird ID practice and bird surveys.

On evenings and off days, the participants will have the opportunity to discover the region, through guided visits to Pre-Historic rock art sites at the Côa Valley Archaeological Park, visit to the Douro International Natural Park and the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Spain), bird watching activities, traditional music and rural activity evenings, with the support of the local population.

Basic camping site at the Faia Brava Reserve, where 3 daily meals will be offered by ATN and prepared by the participants (breakfast, lunch and dinner). The camping site is fully equipped with kitchen, green dry bathrooms, showers and large tents. The nearest village (15 minutes away by 4-wheel drive car) has a small supermarket and café. ATN offers transport to the nearest town for groceries, pharmacy, etc.

The village of Algodres is located 14 km from Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo (Guarda). The fieldwork will be done at the Faia Brava Reserve, 4 km away from the village.

Figueira de Castelo Rodrigo/Porto.

18-30

Action for Justice and Peace (AJPaz) is an association that has for objectives to build a Culture of Peace, based on the Rights of all persons, on a parity, inclusive and participative Democracy, on social and cognitive justice and in an Environment that is able to give and preserve life.

• To promote dialogues between feminism, peace and demilitarization
• To strengthen actions against the poverty and the violence
• To develop counter-hegemonic bonds between the local and the global

• Equality of Opportunities and Parity
• Human Rights Training and Education
• Communitarian Development and Solidarity Alternatives
• Voluntary Work
• Participation in Networks and Platforms
• Production of alternative knowledge

Our methodological approach is based on principles and values that guide the forms and the contents of our reflections and actions.
They are Parity; Non-violence; Non-victimization; Democracy; Emancipation; Autonomy; Solidarity; Valorization of diversity; Social and Environmental Sustainability; Dignity.

- Recovery of a Public Space - construction of a rail and rehabilitation of a wooden bridge.
- Community Project - on completion of the construction / rehabilitation of the rail and the bridge, we will promote a time when everyone in the community, especially the inhabitants of the new urbanization can see and know the space and the authors of the work.
- Workshops - These are proposals to strengthen and promote group cohesion, providing greater interaction and cooperation between all the participants, but also the sharing of knowledge and expertise. The aim is also to allow the workshops to outline the thrust of this field of work by addressing the issues and intervention.

Participants will sleep in 1 or 2 collective rooms, equipped with mattresses and pillows only. Participants will have to bring their sleeping bags. Food will be totally managed and cooked by the volunteers organized in teams (3 meals/day, breakfast, lunch and dinner).

Participants will have also to manage in teams to clean, organize and maintain the whole centre as a pleasant and clean place to live.
General maintenance of the centre will be of the participants responsibility. There will be several groups that will take care of some tasks for the common good. The teams will be rotating and everybody should contribute and participate. If more teams are needed they can be created.

Granja do Ulmeiro, Soure, Coimbra.

Coimbra.

nfo about the Camp Organization:Aventura Marão Clube (AMC) aims at promoting a healthy lifestyle among the local population, especially youth. Its main activities are the organisation of international workcamps, national summer camps, youth exchanges, youth initiatives, sporting activities (canoeing, mountain biking); promotion of Fair Trade (shops, school activities, fairs, etc.); coordination of Casa da Juventude de Amarante, a Youth Centre in partnership with the municipality of Amarante. Webpage - www.aventuramaraoclube.com

The project aims to raise awareness among the participants and the population on organic farms, organic food and fair trade; to develop skills related to agriculture work in organic farms and environment preservation; to run activities in order to increase the level of commitment at local level (Amarante) for organic and fair trade products.

- group dynamics and presentation of the city and region;
- discussion on the workcamp theme (objectives, tasks division);
- training about fair trade and sustainable development (eg. workshop about Fair Trade and healthy food);
- direct contact and work with local organic producers;
- organize an open air event in the city centre about organic and fair trade products;
- visits of the most important places in the city and to some of the main cities and spots in the North of Portugal (Guimarães, Porto, Parque Natural do Alvão).

Participants will be accommodated in shared rooms (4 participants each) of Casa da Juventude de Amarante (equipped wi kitchen, WC and showers). In terms of food, our youth centre has a bar/restaurant for the volunteers (breakfast, lunch and dinner) always taking into consideration our aims (healthy food with organic and vegetarian ingredients). Laundry available (self-service). Our youth centre has free wireless.

Amarante is a small town of 12,000 inhabitants situated in the North of Portugal, part of Porto district (60km far from Porto, to the interior). It is quite famous for its tourism, culture and wine production. Indeed is quite near (18km) the Port Wine region. Is crossed by the River Tâmega, one of the main rivers ending at River Douro which crosses Porto on its way to the Atlantic Ocean, and it is on the valley of one of the most important Portuguese mountains, Marão (1450m).

Porto.

18-30